What do I do when my team car is AWOL?

When the pro peloton starts turning the pedals there’s one thing you can count on and that is there will be mechanical issues, all day long. Each team is responsible for the maintenance of their bikes and employs a full time team of mechanics to completely tear down each bike, clean it, rebuild and lube it while the riders eat dinner and bed down. When they throw their legs over the bike frame the next day it’s essentially a new bike.

Throughout any race, which can be up to 150 – 180 miles each day, there will be problems. The team car usually follows the peloton, French for “platoon”, or what we might call “the pack” and will be prepared to resolve issues that arise. Regardless of how many team cars are permitted it’s guaranteed that at some point your car will be out of place when one of your riders has a mechanical issue.

SRAM to the rescue

SRAM Neutral Support “Class Photo”

Insert SRAM Neutral Race Support. Their job is to supplement the team cars and help any rider who needs it. Their efforts, at any cost, are to get the rider back in the race. SRAM is a Chicago based bike component manufacturer. Interestingly, SRAM also owns Rock Shox, Avid, Truvativ, Zipp and Quarq. It stands to reason that SRAMs primary motivation is simply name recognition, which is not only understandable, but reasonable.

Let’s take a look at what is involved in running a Neutral Race Support crew. Michael Zellman SRAM PR Manager shared the following.

SRAM teams consists of:

18 bike technicians

3 x 2014 XE-70 Volvo

1 of 3 SRAM Volvo XE-70s

Zellman described his support cars as a “virtual rolling bike shop”, each car has:

6 complete bikes

6 sets of wheels

Each car has a host of small parts

Any tool you might need

Most common mechanical is a flat tire

The goal is to have the flat changed and the rider back on the road in 10-20 seconds. It’s starting to sound a bit like auto racing.

Motorbikes too!

Driver and Jumper ready to respond to the most common mechanical, the flat tire.

SRAM team also consists of:

2 x Aprilia Mana 850 GT ABS motorcycles

Automatic Seven-Speed clutchless sequential transmissions

Each motorbike has a driver and a jumper

2 sets of complete wheels

Motorbike allows technicians to access anywhere in the peloton quickly and easily.

This wheel change in 20 seconds or less.

At certain points of each race and as the peloton bears down on the finish, all team cars are pulled back and the neutral support vehicles have full control over keeping the peloton moving. Occasionally a rider can be seen holding onto the neutral support vehicle while a technician hangs out the window working on the derailleur or the brakes. Riders are permitted to hold on the car while this brief repair is conducted as long as the effort doesn’t advance him or her in any way. At times it seems like the technician is working in an upside down position, which is crazy in itself. When a rider indicates that he has a flat tire and gently pulls over it’s amazing to witness the neutral team jump into action and get him going before too much ground is lost.

So, the next time you see SRAM’s Neutral Race Support trademark red cars and motorbikes, you’ll know a little bit more about why they are needed.

#30 is one of my favorites — calling to mind a drive home from Hillsboro Roubaix and my comment that traffic was acting as if in a Cat5 road race. #38 while riding the North Branch Trail loop on my track bike mid-day during the week is actually what I credit the most for making me a competitive cyclist. And thankfully I’ve never experienced #s 43 or 55.

Being a cyclist is quite a unique thing, as the article clearly explains. There are constantly moments when you have epiphanies that deepen the significance of cycling in your life as well. Then, it’s the sights and smells that bring back memories of that first UCI race experience, an epic climb, even a horrific crash. That said, here are some of the more poignant moments that have solidified me as the cyclist I am today:

1) The experience of getting paid to ride my bike and how it still motivates me when I look back on it; when it’s raining out, when where I’m sleeping – as comfortable as it may be – is not as desirable a locale as the cold morning streets, etc.

2) Descending at 50+MPH, laughing hysterically and being unable to hear it due to the wind’s howl past my ears

3) The smell of embrocation beating out the smell of my first girlfriend’s deodorant as all-time favorite scent

4) Watching several riders bumping wheels around me while in a fast chase group during a rainy crit and not being frightened, but getting goosebumps due to the fact that so few people get to experience that thrill

There’s maybe a dozen of those “rights of passage” I haven’t experienced — for one reason or another — and I can’t believe they omitted any mention of gluing/riding tubular tires, but it definitely shines some light on the oft misunderstood life of a cyclist. Even mine.

One of the most popular pieces of home workout equipment is the exercise bike. It requires no set up and is ready to be used at any time. On top of that, there isn’t anything new or complicated using it. The majority of people worldwide learned how to ride a bike when they were children. It’s a skill you never forget. Using an exercise bike only requires that you sit on it and pedal.

Exercise bikes are perfect no matter what the weather is. If it’s raining, snowing, too hot or too cold, you can still get in your bike ride. Just place the exercise bike someplace interesting like in front of a large window with a great view or even in front of the television so you can catch your favorite show while pedaling. The point is that an exercise bike is a fun way to get in a daily workout.

Of course, exercise alone won’t get you where you want to go when it comes to meeting weight loss goals. It’s also vital that you include a healthy eating plan with the exercising. This can often be the most difficult part of losing weight because eating healthy usually means that you have to give up some foods that you really love.

A true enemy of healthy eating is fast food. It’s convenient and tasty, but it’s loaded with just about everything you can think of to destroy a weight loss plan. However, most people just don’t want to give it up. If this sounds like you, you’ll be thrilled to know that you don’t have to give up your fast food favorites.

There’s a new diet sweeping the country right now called the Sensa Diet. All you have to do is sprinkle the Sensa flakes onto your food before you eat it. Because of the way it works to trick your brain and your stomach into believing that you’re full, you can still eat all of your favorite foods. There’s no calorie counting, cravings or feelings of being deprived. There are Sensa flakes for salty food and sweet food. With the Sensa Diet, people have experienced successful weight loss.

Now, think about combining a workout on the exercise bike with the Sensa Diet. Since there are so many variations and styles of the exercise bike, you’re sure to find exactly what you need and want for your workout. In that way, you’ll love the time you spend riding it and getting into shape at the same time. Following the workout on your bike, you can head into the kitchen and have a snack sprinkled with Sensa flakes. Not only will you feel satisfied, but you’ll be well on your way to your goal weight.

Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike Review

I have been looking for a great exercise bike for a few years now and stumbled upon this one online. I read all of the exercise bike reviews and decided to go ahead and give it a shot. I was amazed at how fast it got to my home, and assembling it was very easy. It only took me about 20 minutes to have the bike put together and ready for its first ride. The tensioning works very well and I love the fact that I can tighten it to make a simple workout just a little bit harder.
Since I am a beginner at this spinning stuff, I found it nice that I could afford a decent quality bike without all the extra options that I don’t personally think I need at this point in time. I would recommend this exercise bike for anyone that is new to using an exercise bike in their home, but still wants the benefits of being able to work out whenever you want to.

It has been a long time coming, but the following interview is here just in time for your reading. I want to personally thank Tim and Gork from Seattle Bike Supply for their time and their honest answers. Any ‘cross racer worth their canti’s and BMXer’s with their Flight cranks should reckognize these two cycling legends– if not now you will! This is a good read, trust me:

Q: How did you translate your love of bikes into a career in the cycling industry and how long have you been in the business?

Tim: “I have been in the business since 1973, I started at a small shop in Salem Oregon. I translated my love for all things bicycles from the challenge of fixing bikes and started off by fixing any and all bikes I could get my hands on.”

gOrk: “I’ve been working in the bike industry since 1985 – throughout the BMX industry. My first big gig was as Editor of the late, great BMX ACTION magazine. Then after that I went to the ABA – American Bicycle Association, to become Editor/Photographer for their American BMXer membership mag. I feel very fortunate. I think I was just in the right place at the right time, and knew the right people. But it was also a huge dream for me, that fortunately I was able to make come true.”

Q: Are there any trends in the industry that you see evolving that a casual, outside observer may not fully realize? Fixed-gears losing popularity? Cyclocross growing in popularity? Etc?

Tim: “Electric bikes are going to happen, commuting bikes are going to expand, all practical aspects of cycling will grow during these tough times.”

gOrk: “Both of us have seen so many trends come and go. From F-1 bikes to lowriders, scooters to choppers … whatever happens next is definitely going to come from the street. I’m pushing for a BMX revival, myself. Everyone who raced in the 70’s and 80’s – which was a LOT of people, will eventually bring their kids or grandkids out to try BMX racing. It’s due.”

Q: As a former BMX rider and current cyclocross fanatic, it’s obvious that we share similar passions in cycling. What are some other aspects of bike riding/racing that you guys enjoy? Touring? Racing crits 3 or 4 times a week?

Tim: “I still love riding to work—it gives me such a great release, after a day of work. I still love ‘Cross because it is so pure and simple, the cross culture—you are part of a “tribe.”

gOrk: “Have raced BMX since age 13 and now at 45, am still doing it in the 41-45 cruiser class. In fact, I was just dicing for the win last Thursday night at one of our local tracks here in Seattle. Beside the occasional bike ride to work – the second most riding I get done is hopping on the Torker Tandem with my wife and riding the Burke-Gilman trail up to Redhook Brewery for dinner and some blonde ale.”

Q: Anything you dislike?

Tim: “I dislike attitudes of exclusion, I like welcoming everyone to the sport. There really is something for everyone in cycling, from DH to BMX, to ‘Cross … so much diversity!”

gOrk: “What is there to dislike in cycling?! I guess I dislike how we cyclists are treated – honked or yelled at while riding in to work. I’d really like to change the perception of car drivers towards anybody on a bike on the road. Still not sure if it’s possible. I’m definitely not the best example for following all of the traffic laws myself. Suppose I’m as guilty as the rest of ‘em.”

Q: I get a lot of feedback on my daily commute; 15mi (30 round-trip). Most people, even some fellow racers think that’s a lot of miles. Personally, I wish it was about 5 miles longer. What was your longest regular commute?

Tim: “Now it’s only 6 miles. Used to be 15 back when I lived in Portland.”

gOrk: “I’m definitely not a daily bike-to-work commuter – but wish I could. I live 21 miles from work and I try to do the distance a coupla times a month during good weather. We’ve got some hardcore guys in the SBS warehouse who put both Tim and I to shame. Not only for days commuted in, but for distance. Our Redline hats are off to Val and Reo.”

Q: Do you commute to work? If so, on what? How is it commuting in Seattle as far as “bike-friendliness” goes?

Tim: “I use a Redline Conquest Pro ‘cross bike, I am out in the ‘burbs,” so car/bike relations are pretty tough. Some days everyone gets along, some days I can feel the tension of not being welcomed on the roads. I use sidewalks and shoulders depending on the road, but I always keep heightened awareness of what traffic is experiencing around me. Overall Seattle is getting much more bike friendly, things are changing.”

gOrk: “What Tim’s not telling you is about the time he ran in to some East Indian dude with a turban on his head, who was listening to a I-Pod. Tim was blasting down the hill and this dude stepped out right in front of him. Took him out like he was Bin Laden – but also took himself out at the same time. Tim’s got some GREAT bike-accident stories .. like the time we were in Holland on a business trip and I slammed on the brakes because I saw this car about to turn in to the driveway, and Tim was in a full sprint trying to catch up, and just SLAMMED the backend of my Batavus rental bike. He broke off the rear taillight. Total Dutch traffic accident. He’s also gotten cut off by homeless people and busted his collarbone … he could write a book on all of his commuting incidents. It’s crazy.

When I do ride in, it’s on a Redline R-760 .. our stab at a sweet road bike from two or three years ago. And I’m the King of taking short cuts … my fellow co-workers have dubbed them ‘gork-cuts’.”

Q: I know Redline is making some pretty hot ‘cross bikes.’ Are there any other bikes in the product line that the company is particularly proud of, etc? Anything unique about any models?

Tim: “The new commuter/lifestyle bikes such as the Redline Metro Disc, and the Metro 9 are really going well, and are great bikes for commuting and getting around on.”

gOrk: ” …and don’t forget about the newest addition to the Conquest family; the Conquest 20. The birth of our pint-sized Conquest bike for your kids. 20 x 1 3/8 wheels, flat bars, 14 speeds all at under $390! We actually just posted up the new 2010 Conquest bikes on the website – so check ‘em out on RedlineBicycles.com. And they’re all due to arrive mid to late July. And you’ve still gotta love the Redline 9.2.5 .. that bike is still the best bargain for the urban single-speed crowd.”

Q: What are your most memorable race results?

Tim: “Winning ‘Cross Nationals and the Super Cup for Masters in 1999 is hard to beat, but racing in the 67th Giro d’Italia is always most memorable.”

gOrk: “Hmmmmm …. last week at SeaTac was pretty memorable. I pulled a killer swoop in the first corner, because I run platform pedals and was able to do my patented retro foot-off inside swoop on the clipped-in leader, and rode him high in the berm. Took off from there, didn’t case much in the rhythm section, scored the win and about passed out after the finishline. But I guess I’d have to go back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when my brother and I were pretty unbeatable on a sidehack – took the UBR No.1 plate for Northern California for three years in a row.”

Q: Finally, the question every cyclist loathes: if you could only have one bike what type would it be?

Tim: “The 2010 Redline Conquest Team – versitle and beautiful, all in one!”

gOrk: “Without a doubt – my Flight 24” cruiser. I couldn’t live without a BMX bike.”

Biking is a great thing to do. You do as a hobby, for the enjoyment or as a professional; it has quite a lot to offer. If considering heading out to the mountains with your bike, for that you would need to scroll through the list of mountain bikes. All bikes do not have the capability to take on the rough terrain of a mountain so have a look at what are your choices.

What are the types of mountain bikes?

Even in this class of bikes, there is further subdivision. Some bikes offer great balance while some offer great speed and strength. The best way to know the strength and weakness of a bike is to visit a mountain bike sale and easily you will get to know which bike you should not buy. Majorly, the bikes are classified according to the use you are expected to put it into. Here are some of the types of bikes that you might be looking for:

Downhill

These bikes are made for speed. They easily gain speed as you go downhill and have a superior brake to get hold of that speed when needed.

Cross-Country

These are built to give you the perfect ride for longer period. They are hardy. They have good speed on the pedal. And they are very lightweight.

Trail

Similar to a cross-country bike, but have a greater suspension to enable you to enjoy the natural trails more comfortably. These also offer a better body position for riding through the trails.

Freeride

As the name implies, it is built for free riding. Chain rings are small. The best part of the bike is its strength. It can absorb a lot of shock while going down the hill.

Now if you have learnt what you should be looking for your particular ride, here are some of the top mountain bikes that you can buy.

GT Zaskar 100 Hans Rey

One of the unique bikes you will find in this list. It is 26-inch wheel bike. With the popularity of larger wheels, such bikes are diminishing fast. But this particular bike can give the other bikes run for their money. It was launched in limited edition last year featuring some parts which Hans Rey has been known to use for himself.

Carrera Kraken

If you are looking for a comfortable ride in the mountains, then you might end your search here. One of the best cheap mountain bikes for the trail riding. Very comfortable positioning of the body with high quality suspension makes travelling on the roughest trails smooth.

Islabikes Beinn 29

Built by the champion off-road racer, Isla Rowntree, was sure to gather fame. It was built as a part-time customization project and end up being one of the most popular off-road bikes. This bike offers the best ride for the beginners on any mountain or trail of their choice.

Pivot Mach 429 Carbon

Modified Mach 429 version with carbon body is lighter and stronger mountain bike than its predecessor. More modification has been noted, chainstays have shortened, ISCG 05 chainguide is added and geometry has been bit alter to give the new version a better performance on the trails.

Trek Superfly 100 SL

This bike weighing around a pound can be your choice of bike if you are looking for a speedy bike. The developers have added a mechanism similar to the race bikes by the same developer to provide firm suspension, while strokes to increase balance and strong body to climb mountains at relatively high-speed.

Devinci Wilson Carbon RC

This downhill bike provides high quality comfort to keep your morale high while speeding down the slopes. The stand over has been made low for greater control. The bike can very easily go to high speeds and also can easily take the force of high and long jumps that the speed might invite.

Yeti ARC Carbon Race

This bike has been made lighter to provide greater speed compared to the previous edition. It packs XT brake levers, Shimano XT 2×10 Drivetrain and other race quality components to give you are perfect product ready to get racing in.

Turner Burner 27.5

Packed with quality suspension of DW-Link, provides a very smooth ride on any terrain you can name of. Add ISGC 05 tabs to that you have one of the best mountain bike in the 27.5 category of bikes.

Santa Cruz V10C

With a DH frame that weighs less than 8 pounds, you have this bike as the downhill speeding machine. It adjustable rear suspension and Enve wheels, it has the capability to outrace even good bikes if in the hands of good rider.

Turner Czar

Another bike from the Turner brand which proves to provide high-speed even in rough terrain yet providing the rider with sufficient comfort to enjoy the ride. Added with a good mechanism to control the back wheels bobbing, it can give a tough competition to any of the mountain bikes in its category.

These were some of the great mountain bikes that you can look to buy to enjoy the mountains like you have never enjoyed before.

Over the last few weeks the BSX track has had some changes. The 2 hip jumps have grown in size and the last straight has received some changes that will surely provide spectators with some nail biting finishes. Since there is only two and a half weeks left before the event, Shane is asking for as much help as possible. An event of this caliber can’t be organized and ran without the help of volunteers, so if you have some spare time before the event or on the day, please contact Shane, your help will be greatly appreciated.

The Lilydale Bmx club have been in the rebuilding phase for some time now, completely bulldozing their track and starting from scratch. The 7th of October was the clubs first open meet on their new track, and it brought riders from all over the state of Victoria to race. There were 28 riders in the A Pro field, which saw them all ride 4 qualifying motos to determine who would transfer through to the semi finals. After the first 3 rounds I finished with a 3,2,3 and due to a staging error, I missed the fourth round. I had done enough to qualify through. In the semi I got allocated gate 7, which was not ideal but after a great snap, I was able to secure the 1 spot into the first corner where I remained till the finish. In the final, I was last to have the lane draw and all the was left was lane 8. Once again got a great snap and led into the first corner. I was able to hold the field off till the end for the win.

The Frankston Hell Track was held on the 14th of October and would be a twilight meet. Once again, a big A Pro field with 29 riders all battling for a slice of the $800 prize pool. There were only 3 qualifying rounds at this event, where I finished 4,3,3 to make the semi final, but after a mistimed snap I was left playing catchup. All I could manage was a 5th, which put me out of the final. Now with under 2 weeks till the Grand Nationals in Tulsa I’m feeling in good form and ready to take on some of the best riders the USA has to offer. Thanks to Dugga McLean for the images.

Tonight I had the opportunity to train with Dean and Liam Steele from the Lilydale Bmx Club. It’s always a treat training with Dean as he helps me out a lot with my riding. His son Liam is one of our sports up and coming stars, he has some awesome bike skills and if you ask him, he’ll tell you he can hold me down the first straight of most tracks. Both Dean and Liam are great guys to ride with. So I decided to ask Liam if I could do a bike check on his Kuwahara for danepangallobmx.com. He was nice enough to agree, so here it is, Liam’s Kuwahara Laserlite Pro.
Enjoy.

The Bmx racing season is back in full swing. Over the last 2 weekends riders from around Victoria travelled to Bendigo for the annual ‘Goldrush’ and to Eastfield for “The Experience”
Bendigo ran the Pro Open class which saw 3 gates of riders battling it out for a shot at the final. After flipping the gate in practice, I qualified into the semi final. It was not all smooth sailing though. The gate failed after the electronic prompts and all 8 semi final riders went over the gate. Once the issue was rectified riders loaded up again and got ready to race. A 3rd place in the semi put me through to the final. With a slow start I found myself in traffic and finished the race in 7th.

Next on the calendar was the Eastfield
Experience. With 33 single A Pro riders, it was going to be a big day of fast and competitive racing. Qualifying moto’s saw me pull 3,6 and a 2nd, which had me on 11 points. When the semi finals were announced, it was the best of the best in each semi. When the gate dropped I was playing catchup to the rest of the field, and went to make my move into the first corner, but unfortunately got tangled with another rider and had me finish the race in 7th which me out of the final.

Now with some nicer weather, and daylight savings quickly coming will give me a lots of time to pull things back into place. USA BMX Grand Nationals are approximately 9 weeks away, and I will be ready to take on the best riders America has to offer.